The Henry County School Board will be asked Tuesday to approve about $391,000 in sound, video and lighting upgrades at three schools and auditorium, curtain and rigging system upgrades at four schools.
The board is also set to vote on several federal grant applications worth nearly $3.85 million if approved. Members will convene at 9 a.m. in the third-floor board room at the Henry County administration building, 3300 Kings Mountain Road, Martinsville.
The school board will vote on whether to approve seeking sound, video and lighting upgrades at the Bassett and Magna Vista high school outdoor stadiums and in the Drewry Mason Elementary School auditorium. The facilities are used often for various events, and enhancements are needed to improve the experience, according to meeting documents.
The estimated costs are $80,000 each for upgrades at the two stadiums and $41,000 for the elementary school auditorium. The board will also vote on approving a contract with Stage Sound Inc., of Roanoke, for auditorium curtain and light/sound rigging system upgrades at Bassett and Magna Vista high schools, Fieldale-Collins Middle School and Laurel Park Middle School.
The existing curtains are deteriorated in several areas, and the rigging equipment has “reached the end of its useful life and is due for replacement,” according to meeting documents. The estimated cost is nearly $190,000.
Board members will also be asked to approve four applications for federal Department of Education grants, including:
- Title I, Part A. County schools are eligible for about $3.2 million, to be allocated by the state Department of Education, to support elementary instruction. All county elementary schools are expected to qualify. The funds would help pay for reading specialists, instructional coaches and paraprofessionals, behavior intervention technicians, instructional materials, parent involvement activities, materials and supplies to support homeless students, and more.
- Title II, Part A. About $408,500 will be sought for education reform efforts and would help pay for professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals; school-based mentor pay stipends and benefits; hard-to-fill job signing stipends and benefits; teacher reimbursement for costs to complete certification or re-certification; a recruitment billboard; professional development books; new teacher resources and supplies; and more.
- Title III, Part A. About $59,200 will be sought to support language instruction for English learners and immigrant students.
- Title IV, Part A. Nearly $179,000 will be sought for student support and academic enrichment. The money will help pay for elementary and secondary LEGO robotics club activities and competition participation, Virginia Society for Technology in Education and Virginia Association of Science Teachers conference attendance costs, and other activities.
The board will also receive a report on the success of the school division’s energy conservation program, which was launched in February 2010.
According to the report, during its first year, the program cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 2,800 metric tons — equal to taking 496 vehicles off the roads. Between February and May of this year, it has already cut emissions by 581 metric tons, equal to removing 121 vehicles.
Over the life of the program so far, it has cut greenhouse gases by more than 44,000 metric tons, equal to taking 8,820 vehicles off the road, the report states.
You can find meeting documents by going here and clicking on the meeting date.
